Fashion Stories & Dirty Laundry

October 18th marks the first time ‘our’ Gandalf the Grey strutted into our backyard and adopted us. My son perfectly named her. That was back in 2015 – hard to believe 10 years ago. We moved back from Sugar Land to Los Angeles and of course, she came with. She’s gotten admittedly nouveau riche, sometimes cranky, but always loyal. She is a city cat who has forgotten her ‘unhoused roots’ through and through.

Our pets are often frustrating; eg. think hairballs, vomit, ‘revenge behavior’, declining perfectly good food for fancier, waking us up at 5 am because ‘they want to play’, the list goes on and on.

But why as humans do we still adopt, enjoy, fall in love with these fellow critters and creatures? Because they end up giving more than they actually take. And they will do that until the final breath of their brief lives.

When my father passed away in 2019, who licked my tears on both cheeks as I got off the phone? Gandalf. When I was very sick with Covid in 2020, who slept right next to me for 2 weeks straight until she was assured I was better? Gandalf.

Exactly 1 year ago of this writing, I went through a melanoma skin cancer surgery. Who was my true buddy at home with my 26 stitches? Gandalf.

Who has made the empty nester a little less empty since my son has gone off to college? Gandalf once again.

When my son leaves each year, she will sleep on his bed for 2 weeks straight. Then when he stops by or comes home for a meal or a night, she’ll assess that all is copacetic and return to other sleeping areas. It’s an uncanny sweetness that only animals do.

She follows me each morning while I make coffee and then heads to the sliding glass doors, She knows we drink our coffee outside together. She also sits right by me as I read or journal. She’s a constant buddy. She’s a pretty gorgeous buddy to have, as well. I think she knows it too. But it’s okay. She’s 10 years old, so technically she’s middle-aged as well. No wonder we ‘get’ each other.

She knows almost 30 words/commands and I’m convinced she knows when someone is talking about her. She reads people’s moods and personality spot on. A few times, I’ve been on the phone with the vet, didn’t even mention her name just the appointment needed. She hid for a day. I had to reschedule. This is true and they are smarter.

My son and I love Lord of the Rings and we’ve watched all the films multiple times. The best evening was when Gandalf sat with us an entire movie, she kept hearing her name in the dialogue, so she kept watching the tv along with us. Those will remain sweet memories.

Recently I’ve been working from home more and navigating this vintage fashion biz and vision. Who is my constant observer? Yes, Gandalf again. See the featured picture above. She’s pesty but definitely has good taste: tags, ribbons, tape measures, anything is fair game. She really doesn’t help around the home, but it’s okay.

In early 2025, I wrote a piece here “Ode to the Homebody”. It honored the hobbit type lifestyle: quiet, bookish, hearth-like, the love of good food and drink with loved ones, peaceful etc. Perhaps that is why Gandalf likes me, she thinks I’m a Hobbit. Well, that may be true.

But at least I’m a fashionable one.

-C. Nor.